May All Your Christmases Be White
by crystalballbenny
Summary: "Benny, that sweater is hideous." "Exactly." 25 Days of Christmas: Benny/Ethan edition!
1. Tis the Season

_**Beginning note: Hello, and welcome to the long awaited Bethan Christmas fic! I'm am sooooooo excited to be writing this, and I hope you're excited to get some new Benny/Ethan material! **_

_**I'm gonna try to make this a little fun for you guys, too, so I'm going to attempt to ask some cute little questions about Christmas and the holidays and such; if you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm sorry- I'll try to add some questions not about Christmas in here as well so you lovely people aren't left out :) **_

_**In one more little bit of news, I have some replies to the most recent reviews of my little ficlet where Ethan got sick. I've been neglecting to do that! I'm sorry! **_

_**Title of this fic is from White Christmas, and instead of using a bunch of random ass titles from songs for these fics, I'll just title them with the themes. **_

_**Today's theme: Tis The Season**_

_**~.~.~**_

"Oh my _god_," Sarah garbles, nearly choking to death on her coffee, and Ethan turns to see what the big fuss is about.

And oh my god is right.

Benny celebrates the beginning of December loudly and with some color, meaning that he decides to wear a horribly bright and gaudy sweater to school. It's green in an unappealing way, reminding Ethan of someone who has thrown up a bag of apple flavored _Jolly Ranchers_. Across the body of the sweater lies many disproportional and faded white snowflakes; a 3D reindeer head pokes out of the chest, with a cherry-red nose and all.

Ethan's still got his mouth open when Benny reaches them, grinning brighter than the sweater and looking utterly pleased with himself.

"Benny," he says for lack of anything else. "That sweater is hideous."

"Exactly." Benny replies with a laugh, and pulls Ethan in for a kiss right in the middle of the hallway. Ethan totally does not melt into a puddle. "Just a reminder, you're the one dating the kid with the hideous sweater."

_**~.~.~**_

Everybody reminds Ethan of this throughout the course of the day.

In math, he's trying to copy down the notes on the board when the girl sitting behind him leans up and whispers right in his ear:

"Isn't your boyfriend the one wearing the ugly sweater today?"

Ethan turns around to look at her; the girl's name is Melanie Orwell, and she looks absolutely humored by his reaction.

Eye twitching and blood pressure rising, Ethan nods.

"Unfortunately."

_**~.~.~**_

"Hey, Morgan!"

Ethan's head snaps up when he walks into history with his phone in his hands and a stupid look on his face.

Chad Andrews, a lead soccer and basketball player, is yelling to him from his seat with a grin like the sun itself and is laughing with his friend, Jake.

"Isn't Benny the one wearing the dorky _Rudolph _sweater? I swear that thing actually glows, dude."

Ethan knows for a fact that it glows; before the previous hour, and before Melanie had to screw up his concentration on math, Benny had dared Ethan to press the nose on the 3D reindeer head. The nose lit up like a fire alarm and began singing _Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer _in a tinny, awful voice. Ethan just hit Benny's reindeer with his notebook and fled into the classroom.

Instead of saying (or yelling) all of this at the two, Ethan just sighs like Benny's sweater brings him much pain and sinks into his seat. Chad and Jake laugh even harder and Ethan wishes a brick would fall from the sky and bring them swift death.

When his teacher comes in to find Ethan banging his forehead against the desk, and the two athletes still crying with laughter in the corner, they don't ask why.

_**~.~.~**_

Lunch. Lunch is the absolute last straw.

Ethan walks in, thinking he's got it all under control- mostly people just laugh and make sure it's Benny who's wearing the awful sweater before falling into fits of hysterical giggling that makes Ethan's stomach twist. Both because he agrees and because he feels like he should stick up for the sweater because Benny likes it, even though he hates it.

But he makes it through the lunch line with minimal people laughing in his direction, and is on his way to the table, when he sees Benny squeeze the nose, and everyone stops to watch as he and Rory start singing along. It sends the lunchroom into a fit of giggles, and even the lady taking his money for his food has a huge smile on her face.

With his tray white-knuckles in his hold, Ethan waits for the song to end and storms over to the table, ignoring the way that Benny's face lights up when he catches sight of the shorter boy.

"Hey, E, what's u-"

Ethan carelessly throws his food onto the table, shrugs off his backpack, and takes Benny's outstretched hand. Pulling the lanky teenager to his feet, Ethan grits out:

"We'll be back in a minute," to Sarah, and drags Benny along with him to the entrance of the cafeteria. People watch as they go, laughing and cat calling to Benny, and Ethan's frown deepens.

"Ethan, where are we _going_?" Benny asks when they make it to the hallway.

Ethan snarls in response. "We're going to get that stupid sweater off. You're making a scene."

Benny doesn't have time to protest before Ethan's basically throwing him headfirst into the dark room, and ignores the twinge of uneasy upon seeing the inside of the room again; he still hasn't gotten over the Negative Copies Of Him And Ethan Incident that took place freshman year.

Ethan kicks the door shut behind them, and doesn't even let Benny regain his balance before he's got his hands around the bottom of the sweater and is pulling it over Benny's wild head. The sweater comes off with ease, Benny's arms complying without the boy's consent, and Ethan lets it fall on the ground triumphantly.

The sight of Benny's bare chest in the dim lighting brings Ethan satisfaction, and he smiles in relief, resting his hand against Benny's warm skin. He feels the other's heart skitter beneath his palm, and his grin grows smug.

"There," Ethan says quietly, thumbing over Benny's pectoral. "That's better."

Benny is slightly breathless when he responds. "W-what's better?"

"You've got that horrendous sweater off," Ethan's fingers tease their way up over Benny's collarbone, and the other hand comes up to dangle off of Benny's beltloops in his jeans. "It was giving me a migraine. Also, I was sick of everyone laughing at you and me not knowing if I should defend you or take their side. Because really- that sweater is disgustingly festive."

Benny seems to not have any control over his own hands, and they creep into Ethan's hair and onto his shoulders of their own accord to pull him closer. Kneecap to kneecap, hip to hip, and shoulder to shoulder, the hand by Benny's neck falls to join the other on his waist, and Ethan lets out a warm sigh against his throat.

But Benny keeps up the game a little longer.

"What should I wear for the rest of school, then? If you hate my sweater so much?"

"I don't hate it," Ethan justifies, kissing the underside of his jaw sweetly. "I hate everyone looking at you and badgering me about your wardrobe choices."

Benny's lips curl up in the corners. "So you're just being a _Grinch_, huh?"

And Ethan shrugs. "I guess so. Also, I like you half-naked because you've got a rockin' bod."

"You're gross," Benny laughs, but gives in and kisses Ethan like it's all he's ever wanted to do.

Which, it totally is.

Ethan seems to agree.

_**~.~.~**_

They've still got their tongues down each other's throats by the time Sarah, Erica and Rory come to find them before fourth hour.

"Oh, great," Sarah groans, covering her eyes. Ethan and Benny stop kissing, but don't move to disconnect from each other's tangled holds. "You two are so damn insatiable all the time."

Ethan laughs with his swollen lips and bright eyes. He's still got his hands around Benny's sides, fingers pressed into the small of his back.

"You know what they say. Ho ho ho and mistletoe, and all that."

Erica scoffs and pulls Sarah back towards the doorway; Rory had already left, screaming about having to go and soak his eyes in holy water to get rid of the image of them "playing tonsil hockey" with each other.

Benny watches as the two girls step away and turn into the hallway, laughing against Ethan's forehead.

"Tis the season!" he shouts, and Erica flips him off before the door shuts.

_**~.~.~**_

_**A/N: I actually enjoy this first fic somewhat :D I thought it was decently cute. What about you guys? Did you like it? Hate it? (I hope you liked it bc I am doing these 25 days and it's going to be hella) **_

_**But anywho, that was the first installment of May All Your Christmases Be White, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the rest!**_

_**Tomorrow's theme: First snow :D **_

_**And here are the replies to the last set of reviews in All Your Little Things. Sometimes I get so flustered and wonderstruck by your lovely reviews that I forget I need to give you guys some love too!: **_

_**BethanForever: Goddamn girl, ily. Your reviews make my entire life and I cry laughing sometimes because they're so fucking hilarious and spunky just like the idiot characters we love so much! (pst: wow I want them to do the sex too but I probably would mess it up spectacularly so I don't know honey)**_

_**TeamEthanMorgan: Also to another beautiful soul who reviews every single freakin' thing I post: I love you more than all the Bethan stories combined into one. Like seriously babes, you're amazing. And for your comment on not celebrating Christmas: I'm sorry you're subject to all of this inane advertisement and screeching of the holiday! Do you celebrate a different holiday, like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Because I could totally slip in some of your holiday if you wanted! It could be fun :D**_

_**StillFallingAngel: BEING SICK IS THE WORST OH MY GOD HELP ME. But thanks for understanding- I just got news that I'll be working a weekend shift this time around for five hours each on Saturday and Sunday and I'm mega bummed :( I love you for your review and your inquiry on Benny- how about I make the next drabble about him hon?**_

_**And to that little lovely guest MBAV fan: I know, I'm sorry this was quite slackerish babe :/ But I'm glad you're still willing to read my upcoming fics, and I hope they bring you more delight that this one did! Thanks for understanding my schedule and giving me honest feedback! Ily much!**_


	2. First Snow

_**Guys, you are all awesome. Also, this one is probs gonna suck bc I hate second chapters and I had nothing else to do for this prompt because all the others are decently planned out and this one is just HERE'S SNOW GO NUTS. **_

_**But anyways, today's theme is first snow! Enjoy!**_

_**~.~.~**_

It's five thirty at night, the sky dark and the outside still and calm, when Benny rushes in and ruins everything that those words stand for.

He totally disregards the fact that Ethan's got a book on his lap and homework in front of him and throws himself down on top of the smaller boy like a hyperactive golden retriever. Ethan didn't even hear him come into his room, and is currently trying not to go into cardiac arrest.

"Ethan, did you look outside?" Benny yells in his face, and Ethan is still blinking down at his face like a surprised owl.

Sighing, and forgetting his homework for the moment, he smiles fondly down at the other boy and rests his hand on Benny's warm and pink cheek.

He shakes his head. "No. What's up?"

Benny's grin grows tenfold, and taking the hand resting against his cheek, he uses it to pull Ethan off of his bed and towards the window. The curtains are pushed aside with reckless abandon, and Ethan doesn't have time to fret over them before their breath is fogging up the glass and Benny is gesturing up towards the sky.

"It's snowing!" he shouts enthusiastically, and Ethan wipes away their cloud of fog to see outside.

Benny's right; giant, cottonball snowflakes are falling from the sky and landing on the ground. The wet flakes stick to the grass like fingers digging into the soil, and even though Ethan knows the snow will be gone by the time they wake up the next morning, the sight of snow still makes him smile.

He turns to Benny, his grin just as big as his best friend's. "Yeah, it is. That's awesome."

"C'mon!" Benny laughs, and is pulling Ethan out behind him without a second warning.

The two of them bounce down the stairs together, hands still locked together, and basically fall over each other when reaching the bottom. They spill out into the foyer in a giant ball of teenage idiot, Benny shouting about how they'll be able to have snowball fights with their friends and go sledding and make a snowman.

Ethan doesn't even realize he's putting his shoes on because he's too enraptured in what Benny's saying to him; one shoe goes on after the other, his attention solely and completely on the taller boy next to him.

"Rory might be the vampire ninja," Benny's telling him, making a fist. "But this year, Ethan! This is the year that I finally hit him square in his stupid little face."

Laughing, Ethan lets Benny take his hand and pull him out into the kitchen, where Samantha is sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking some hot tea and reading a book. She looks up when they enter, clad in shoes but no coats, holding hands, and raises an eyebrow.

"Benny, where are you taking Ethan now that you've completely distracted him with your humor and good looks?"

Ethan's eyebrows crinkle, and when he turns to look at Benny, it clicks.

That _bastard_-

"We're going outside to watch the snow!" he chirps, and Ethan makes a confused noise just as Benny pulls him all the way out the door, Samantha smiling sympathetically at him as he goes.

The cold air hits him like a punch in the gut, and Ethan sucks in a chilled breath as soon as the door swings shut behind them. Benny is as warm as a fire, and feeling the frost sinking into his bones, Ethan moves closer to him, fingers tightening in his.

He makes the mistake of looking as he does this, because his breath gets caught in his throat at the sight of Benny in the murky lighting. The moon's not out, but the wane street lights and scattered Christmas decorations light up his face, anyways, and Ethan forgets sometimes just how fucking beautiful Benny is. The lights create shadows in the crevices of his face, lurking underneath his eyes and in his dimples, and Ethan's knees feel like Jello just from looking at him.

"It's beautiful out," Benny whispers to him.

"Yeah, you are." Ethan says mindlessly, hopelessly smitten, and Benny's dimples turn into miniature craters when he smiles even wider.

He looks down at Ethan, looking warm and amused and so in love that it makes Ethan forget all about how goddamn cold it is outside.

"I was talking about the snow, you cheeseball." Benny chuckles, and his other hand comes up to rest against Ethan's cheek, fingers fanning out against his cold-flushed skin and knuckles skimming his jaw. "But you're more beautiful."

Ethan's lip twitches in the corner. "And you call me the cheesy one."

Benny laughs outright, quiet but enough to seem out of place in the arctic exterior of the December night, and Ethan thinks that it suits him; Benny's always been beautifully outside of the box.

"I can't feel my hands," he admits, and keeps right on staring up into Benny's stupidly perfect doe eyes that remind him of chocolate and everything wonderful in the world.

Benny huffs out another weak laugh, and taking both of Ethan's hands in his, brings them to his mouth and places a kiss on the knuckles.

"Just look at the snow," he insists, again in a whisper. "And then we can go inside."

Ethan looks up, and doesn't even mind when the snow begins sticking to his eyelashes because his backyard is beginning to look like Wonderland.

Snow is starting to stick to everything: the trees, the ceramic flower pots, the deck- everything, and it makes the backyard look absolutely stunning in the light.

"God, you're right," Ethan tells Benny, lips blooming into a full-out grin. He turns to look back at Benny, and the kid's got snow in his eyelashes and hair, too. He looks surreal, like a marble statue or a member of the fey with sharp bones and wicked eyes. "It's absolutely beautiful."

Benny's breath stutters against his cheeks, and without warning, scoops Ethan in close for a kiss. Ethan doesn't expect it, but he's delighted anyways, and sinks into Benny's hold to kiss him back.

The stand like this for a few moments, kissing and thanking everything and everyone that they've got each other, letting the snow fall and accumulate on their hair and the yard.

When they separate, the air between them hangs like fog, and Benny grins blissfully.

"Christmas is gonna _rock _this year, dude."

_**~.~.~**_

_**A/N: YES, THAT WAS SHORT. OH MY GOD IT WAS MILDLY TERRIBLE. BUT I'M TIRED, I SAW MY DAD TODAY SO I'M A LITTLE STRESSED, AND I HAVE ALGEBRA HOMEWORK TO DO BC I'M A DUMBASS. BUT TOMORROW SHOULD GO BETTER BECAUSE I'M MEGA EXCITED TO WRITE IT AND IT INCLUDES ALL FIVE OF THESE IDIOTS IN IT. **_

_**So, answer me this question: Do you guys even like the snow? Do you get it where you live? **_

_**Personally, I am in love with snow because I'm a winter person and I love the cold and it gives me an excuse to stay inside and vegetate under the covers with my kitty slippers and fluffy pj pants. I also live in the cluster of American states that border Canada, so we get a shitload of snow that doesn't melt until mid March!1! YAY. **_

_**But anyways, I hope this wasn't too bad, and you'll stay tuned for the next one:D**_

_**Tomorrow's theme: Snowman **_


	3. Snowman

_**Sorry guys! I was hella busy yesterday with a band concert and eating dinner with my mom and doing homework, so sorry this was late! But I'm posting today-today's right after this one, so please forgive me and gimme a little credit for doing two in one day :D**_

"_**Today's" theme: Snowman **_

_**~.~.~**_

Benny takes his hands off the giant ball of snow, shaking his head; the giant puffball on his hat threatens to whap Ethan right in the face.

"No, E, not like that- the torso has to match the bottom and the head. If one half is lopsided, then the others will be, too."

Rolling his eyes, Ethan just steps back and watches as Benny sculpts the giant snowball into the shape that he wants it. They're outside with Sarah, Erica and Rory, building a snowman. Thankfully, it had snowed a lot more since the first night, and now the snow was beautifully thick and wet- great for packing together and making it into a snowman.

Or, as Rory liked to show them, a snowball.

Ethan watches as another sails through the air and lands right on the hunched part of Benny's shoulders, sticking and sliding over his winter coat.

Benny doesn't even give Rory the satisfaction of standing up and yelling at him. He just keeps on scraping snow off of the ball and biting his red lips.

"Rory, you're going to have to try better than that!" he yells towards the other boy, sniffling in the cold. "I thought you were supposed to be a vampire ninja."

Ethan grins and bends over to put his mouth right next to Benny's ear. When he speaks, his breath tickles the hairs poking out of the hat and he watches in delight as Benny shivers.

"I thought you vowed to get the best of Vampire Ninja," he teases, pressing a light kiss to the shell of Benny's ear.

Benny looks at him over his shoulder with a smile so wide that Ethan can nearly see all of his teeth. "I'm biding my time, babe. Do it when he'll least expect it."

Warmed by the sudden pet name, Ethan's cheeks flush an even rosier pink, and he travels over to help Sarah make the head with a stupid look on his face.

He walks up at the wrong time.

"-We can't put a penis on it, Erica. It'll scare the neighborhood kids." he hears Sarah scolding, and Ethan's face scrunches up in all the right places to make Erica laugh like Ethan's uncomfortable expression makes her happier than taking down an asshole to snack on.

Sarah turns to look at Ethan, with her fuzzy ear muffs, mittens, and coat, and she smiles apologetically.

"Her argument is that all the neighborhood kids have already seen penises, anyways, because most of them have them."

Ethan is shaking his head before Sarah even finishes. "No. Absolutely not."

Sarah sticks her tongue out at Erica, and in response, the blonde girl hisses back at her and crushes what was probably the beginning of a penis made out of snow. She looks mildly irritated, but since it's her default expression, Ethan doesn't take it too personally. He can see the fondness hiding right under the surface, and it makes him smile wider.

"Okay, I think I've got the torso ready!" Benny calls from a yards away, and Ethan turns to look at the prepared body of their snowman. It does look, admittedly, a lot better than Ethan had originally made it, and he just smiles cutely at Benny because yeah- his boyfriend's mildly artistic.

Ethan turns to look at Rory, who was supposed to be making the bottom of their snowman.

"Rory, have you got the bottom part of the snowman done?"

Instead of an answer, Ethan gets a wet and absolutely freezing snowball right to the face, and he stands in shock for a moment, trying to think up his next best move.

But Benny does it for him.

"You'll pay for that one, Rory!" Benny shouts, sounding too much like Ron in Harry Potter when he tried to curse Draco with eating slugs. But this time, the magic actually works. "Caesum!" he shouts, and a purple light flashes out of the tips of his fingers.

Rory, who was laughing seconds before, now freezes in place with a look of curiosity mingling with the humor. It takes Ethan a few breaths to realize what Benny's done.

Rory is stuck in place, like an ice sculpture.

"Good," Benny nods, admiring his handiwork. "Now I can give him some payback."

Benny bends down and scoops up an entire armload of snow, and takes his time patting it along Rory's bare skin and shoving it down his jacket and caking it into his hair. Ethan and the girls watch in morbid fascination as he does this, trying to decide whether to laugh or help him.

When Benny's decided that Rory's payback is good and in full, he laughs to himself and stands back beside Ethan. Raising his hand again, he says clearly:

"Meve."

And Rory, who was frozen in mid step, unfreezes and stumbles to the side.

"Oh, god, Benny," he whines, trying and failing to get all of the snow out of his hair and jacket. "This is mutiny, dude."

"You're not going to throw snow and Ethan and get it away with it, you psychopathic vampire ninja!" Benny declares, and while Sarah facepalms, Erica pretends to throw up onto their pristinely made snowman head.

"Oh, please, Benny." she scoffs. "You made me sick."

Benny laughs and just goes over to his torso; Ethan follows, and together, they begin to push it to Rory's giant snowball.

"Let's put this thing together, shall we?"

Ethan asks this with flourish, and already forgetting about the moment of frozen fun, Rory snaps to attention and moves to help them lift the torso on to the bottom half he created. They fit the two snowballs together and meld the snow to keep it from falling off, and then Sarah and Erica put the head on top of the torso and pat it down, as well.

When the snowman is put together, Sarah pulls out her bag of random crafty pieces, and they begin adding character to their snowman. Benny works on winding a flannel scarf around the snowman's neck, while Ethan carefully puts the carrot nose into its head. Rory scuttles up the big tree in Ethan's backyard to pull two branches off for the arms, and Erica fits the hat on while Sarah puts buttons on the stomach and face of the snowman.

When Rory gets the arms into the tightly packed side, the five of them step back to admire the snowman they made together.

It looks like something right out of a Christmas card, or a _Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup _commercial, and Ethan grins so widely that his cheeks cramp up.

"This is awesome guys!" he declares, and the other four agree; Benny agrees silently, as well, by snaking an arm around his waist and pulling him in close.

They end up taking a horridly stupid picture with the snowman on a camera that Benny's grandma magic-ed up to be able to photograph vampires. Rory's floating nearly on the snowman's shoulders, Erica's doing an odd peace sign over her eyes, Sarah doing the same next to her, and Ethan and Benny are the original dorks, hugging onto each other and smiling like idiots.

It's wonderful and stupid and completely them.

Erica adds to the mood by throwing out:

"I still think it would have looked better with a penis."

_**~.~.~**_

_**Wheew- that is the quickest I've ever writing a fic! It only took me about an hour! Weeew! I hope you enjoyed this, because I loved writing this one! **_

_**So let me ask you this: What's the best thing you've ever created/made by yourself? (It doesn't have to be out of snow if you don't get snow where you live) **_

_**I remember when I was about ten, I made a HUGE snow fort with my friend Maddy, and we spent the entirety of Christmas Eve in it with all the other neighbor kids, pretending to be survivalists and had a snowball fight at like ten o'clock at night, and it was so magical. **_

_**So, since I need to post two today to get back on track, the next theme is: reindeer :D See you in a bit!**_


	4. Reindeer

_**This might be a little shorter because there's really not much to say about a zoo, but I love it to death and I hope you will too! And hey- I kept my promise to be back with more, didn't I? So enjoy! **_

_**Today's actual prompt: Reindeer**_

_**~.~.~**_

Even the ride over to the zoo is a zoo.

Ethan's in the back with Benny, gripping onto his hand like a vice. Rory's on his right, yelling over the sound of Michael Buble singing_ White Christmas_, trying to tell Erica that she's absolutely and completely wrong about everything ever.

"Erica, stop being stupid- you know that the monkey display is the best!"

Erica doesn't even give him the time to turn around and flash her fangs at him like she usually would; she's too busy trying to give herself a "winter look" in the mirror (which Grandma Weir gimmicked to show vampire reflections, much like Benny's camera) with a dark red lipstick.

"Rory, you're high." she tells him bluntly, applying a nice, even coat on her cupid's bow. "The best display at the zoo is the tiger one, and you know it."

Rory makes a sound like he's choking on life. "Erica, just- no. Even the camel display is better than the tiger one, and all they've done in the past two years is write _HUMP DAY _in green and red lights."

Sarah looks at him through the rearview mirror, and then back at the road, turning on her left-handed signal. "How about we just wait until we get to the zoo to decide which display is the best, huh?"

"The lights are always the same," Benny throws out helpfully. "They've basically been the same since we were kids and they started this whole 'Come walk through the zoo to see Christmas light displays and no animals since they're all in the south and buy some scandalously over-priced hot chocolate on the way towards the Reptile House.'"

Ethan decides to pipe up, as well. "This is correct. Benny has an actual logical point."

Benny grins down at him. "Thanks, E."

After another moment, Rory starts making noises like a wounded cat and thrashes around. "Pull over, Sarah- they're making out now and I think I'm going to be sick."

_**~.~.~**_

Benny really is right about the whole zoo ordeal; the displays haven't changed since they were kids, but Ethan's okay with that because it's become a tradition for them all to pile into a car together, walk around in negative asshole degrees, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy the upcoming holidays.

He and Benny are still holding hands, wandering through the zoo with the other three and observing the lights while Erica and Rory continue to bicker about which display owns the others.

"The monkey one actually moves," Rory insists.

"The tiger one actually makes a tiger out of a rainbow of lights," Erica retorts.

Ethan huffs out a laugh at them under his breath, and looks up at Benny fondly.

"I think they're both wrong- the penguin display is the best because the penguins are the only animals that can stay through the winter."

Benny nods in agreement and takes a drink of his hot chocolate, wrinkling his nose cutely. "God, that stuff is still piping hot."

"Just like you," Ethan says offhandedly, and the two blonde vampires take a break from their bickering to yell at Ethan for being gross.

The five of them snake through the zoo like a giant blob of festivity and companionship, pointing out all of the cool lights they've been seeing for the past sixteen years and some of the new displays that the zoo has brought into the assortment. They all seem to like the flamingo display, which is bright pink with a sun and some palm trees.

Eventually, after going through the penguins, flamingos, camels, tigers and lions, the Monkey Cage, and the Reptile House, they make it to another of Ethan's favorite displays.

This one holds a few actual reindeer, who are also accustomed to cold weather and stay in a pole barn during the night. The zoo always decides to keep them for these few weeks to show off the Christmas lights because the customers enjoy seeing an animal that is actually tied into Christmas and stories, and not just random goats and sea otters.

"Let's go feed them," Ethan says enthusiastically, and he and the others pay to get a handful of food to give to the reindeer. They're gentle and sweet, all named ridiculously cliche wintery things, like Snowflake and Peppermint and Nicky, after Old Saint Nick. Ethan gets to feed Snowflake, who nuzzles into his gloved hand like a dog, and snuffles when she eats. Ethan might kind of adore her a lot.

From his side, Benny rests their sides together and flicks one of his hat ends at him. "Hey. Let's get a dog when we move in together."

Ethan's so surprised and delighted by the prospect that he drops the remaining pieces of feed onto the ground, and Snowflake chases after them with her furry snout, grunting and licking them off of the snow.

Looking up at the taller boy, he finds Benny grinning back at him, and he turns into mush without warning.

Smiling back, Ethan curls up him and agrees: "Yeah, let's get a dog."

_**~.~.~**_

On the ride home, Erica and Rory are still bickering over the displays and which one beat the other while Sarah drives and generally ignores them being two year olds.

Ethan sits, squished, next to Benny again, still holding his hand and resting his head on Benny's shoulder. The rides home always make him pensive, and strangely invincible and alive. He thinks of the future, the person he's pressed up against, and thinks that his life is absolutely beautiful.

Lifting his head up, he skates his nose over Benny's jaw and leans up to his ear.

"Hey."

He says it softly, just so that only Benny hears him.

Benny tilts his head to look at Ethan, and is just as quiet when he replies. "Yeah?"

Ethan smiles, sweet and syrup-like, and squeezes Benny's hand. "I love you, you know?"

Benny just presses a soft kiss to his forehead. "Yeah, I know. And I love you, too."

_**~.~.~**_

_**Yep. I ended another fic with the I love you thing. What can you do ¯\_(**__**ツ**__**)_/¯**_

_**But this went surprisingly well despite the fact that I literally just wrote another fic like a half an hour ago, and I'm highly impressed with myself right now. My brain doesn't even hurt! **_

_**This has to be my favorite of the lot so far, so I hope you enjoyed it as well!**_

_**So answer me this: What's your favorite animal? **_

_**Mine's an elephant because they're huge and majestic and awkward and lovable and loving- just like these two idiots! **_

_**And now, I'll really see you guys tomorrow! I love you all! **_

_**Tomorrow's theme: Mistletoe (you know this goin' be cheesy so pls prepare urselves)**_


	5. Mistletoe

_**Sorry guys! I'm a little behind schedule! Yesterday I was practicing music until five and then I had to march in a Christmas parade, and today I had to face my family for seven hours at a family Christmas party and then go on a "Journey Through Christ" walk through the woods when I'm agnostic and it was a stressful day. So, yesterday's will go up today and I'll try to get today's and tomorrow's out after I'm done with work! I love you all and sorry for the delay!**_

_**Today's theme: Mistletoe**_

_**~.~.~**_

The first time Ethan finds it, he's totally unprepared and oblivious to the situation at hand. Holding onto the banister, Ethan walks down the stairs to talk to Benny, and doesn't even see the little green plant hanging above his head until it's too late.

"Hey, Benny?" he calls, reaching the last step. "What time are we heading over to Rory's?"

He's only gotten his foot onto the ground, stepping towards the kitchen, when Benny comes out of nowhere and scoops Ethan up into him arms, like they're in every single Rom Com ever. Ethan makes a noise of surprise, and catches Benny's wicked grin before it crashes down onto his own in a deep kiss.

Ethan knows he's should probably ask what the hell Benny's doing, acting like a secret agent or assassin, but his eyes droop against his will, and he finds himself just gripping onto Benny's sweater to pull him closer.

After a few moment, Benny places a last linger peck on Ethan's bottom lip and pulls away, looking smug and thoroughly dazed; Ethan imagines he must look the same.

Licking his swollen lips, Ethan tries to pull words out of thin air to say. "What- what was that for?"

Benny removes the hand stuck under his shirt to point at the ceiling, and Ethan follows the thin knuckles upwards to see. And hanging from his foyer lamp, looking totally innocent and strategically placed, is a cluster of mistletoe.

Ethan surprises both himself and Benny by laughing out loud, and he tells himself that he can admire his boyfriend's sneaky handiwork every once in awhile.

"You're sneaky," Ethan admits, and looks back at Benny. Benny still looks mused in the best way possible, and Ethan enjoys the thought of ruining it. "But I'm going to shoot that plan right out of the water."

Benny's eyebrows crunch together, but he's still smiling. "What does that mean?"

Leaning in, Ethan moves to Benny's ear and whispers:

"That means we're having a mistletoe-off. And I'm going to get a little more creative than you, Ben."

To Benny's credit, he looks a little anxious by the tone of Ethan's voice, is mainly thrilled. And Ethan can't resist kissing him again, telling himself that Rory won't mind if they're a few minutes late.

_**~.~.~**_

"Rory, no- that's a terrible idea and we're not putting that into our presentation."

Benny sighs and scribbles out the note Rory made on their project plan-out; they need to create a poster for a symbol in _Macbeth_, and Rory wants to put in that the dagger could stand for Macbeth's awesome killing skills.

"The whole point of this project it to focus on Shakespeare's literary devices, Rory, not get the class rioting against us," Benny insists, and Rory scoffs.

"Benny, the whole class will totally love us if we include Macbeth being a kickass dude."

Benny doesn't look up from writing their description of the dagger symbolizing death. "Macbeth was not a kickass dude, Rory- he killed a king and someone's kids."

Their teacher, Ms. Bellamy, saves Benny from having to fight Rory to the death on this decision.

"Benny, you've got a pass to go the the main office for a few minutes," she tells him, handing him a pass the color of spring grass. "I think they need to give you something."

Nodding and taking the pass, Benny points at Rory and says, "We're not adding that Macbeth was a good murderer," and ignores Ms. Bellamy's confused look as he makes his way to the door.

When slipping out, gently closing the door behind him, Benny looks down at the pass in wonderment; he hadn't ordered anything, and he'd already gotten his test scores back from the previous placements the year before. He can't recall what else he could need to get. A book? Something for his grandma to sign?

He's almost to the office when someone pulls him into an adjacent hallway, and he finds his back to the wall before he even has time to blink.

Ethan is smiling mischievously at him, face open and bright, and Benny's is completely at loss.

"What-" he begins, but then Ethan pulls out the mistletoe that was previously in his foyer, and Benny's brain puts it together at once. "Oh my god, E. You pulled me out of class for this?"

Ethan shrugs in a completely unconcerned way. "I told you I'd get the best of you."

Benny's jaw is closed from replying when Ethan cups is and pulls him in for a kiss, and Benny can feel the plant against his forehead where Ethan's holding it up.

"You're ridiculous," Benny sighs in between kisses, but it's obvious that he doesn't care. He snakes his arms around Ethan's hips and hikes him up closer to him, totally and absolutely smitten. "I'm making out with- you in the hallway- instead of coloring- with Rory."

Ethan grins against his lips, kissing the jut of his chin. "This is better, right?"

And Benny doesn't even hesitate when saying, "Oh, yeah," and continues to kiss Ethan without a care in the world about his and Rory's stupid project.

_**~.~.~**_

Benny strikes back when Ethan's in the shower, scrubbing shampoo into his hair and singing along to Mumford & Sons on the radio.

He hears the door open and knows it's Benny, but wrongly assumes that the other boy is coming in to brush his teeth before bed. So he keeps on washing his hair, singing the lyrics to I Will Wait, and thinks nothing is out of the ordinary.

After the chorus, Benny creeps up the shower curtain and pulls it to the side, Ethan pausing in squirting shower gel into his palm to blink up at him.

"Look up," Benny explains, and Ethan does as he's told. He finds the mistletoe hanging on the shower head above him, and thinks for a moment that he should be surprised, but really isn't.

"This could be considered an invasion of privacy," Ethan tells Benny, who is looking smugger by the second. "But it's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Exactly," Benny agrees, and disregards the water currently flowing down on top of them to kiss Ethan senseless. Ethan forgets there's shower gel in his hand and mindlessly sinks his fingers into Benny's completely, not-being-washed-in-the-shower dry hair.

They pull away, both looking forlornly up at Benny's now soapy hair. He thinks maybe he should be surprised, but he's not.

"Might as well just get in," he shrugs, and Ethan watches in a daze as Benny pulls his shirt over his head like it's nothing. His jeans follow the shirt to the floor, along with his socks, and when he takes his boxers off, completely naked, he gets into the shower with Ethan. Pressing him up against the shower wall, Benny looms above him and grins like a cat.

Ethan's eyes grow darker than usual, and letting his head to thunk back onto the wall, he sets his hands on Benny's sides to let him slink closer.

"Clever," Ethan breathes, but doesn't even give the mistletoe a second glance.

Benny's eyebrow raises, and he says: "I know."

And then he sinks to his knees, and Ethan can barely huff out a gasp before Benny gets a hand around his cock and slips into his hot mouth.

Ethan's knees almost buckle at once, but he forces himself to keep upright while Benny's tongue moves up and down him, teasing at the slit and his lips dragging up and down. He uncurls his mouth from Ethan's dick just long enough to lick a long, tantalizing stripe up the underside, and Ethan's choked off moan earns him Benny's eyes flickering upwards. Ethan watches with his chest on fire as Benny smiles with his lips touching just the tip of his dick, and then he swoops in and sucks right on the head like it's a goddamn sucker.

And when Benny hums, like Ethan's dick is the best thing he's ever tasted, Ethan comes so hard that his vision turns white for a few seconds.

When he can see again, he finds himself on the floor of the shower, panting and probably looking absolutely wrecked. Benny's hovering over him, looking warm and concerned and so in love that Ethan feels it lighting up like a candle in his stomach.

Benny's fingers pull some hair off of his forehead, as light and gentle as a butterfly.

"You okay, E?" he asks softly, and Ethan nods, pulling his hand down to his cheek.

"I'm perfect."

Benny smiles and kisses him, thumb rubbing over Ethan's cheek, and Ethan never wants to leave this moment ever.

It's a few moments later, but Ethan's got Benny's dick in the ring of his hand, pulling and twisting it like a champ, when he leans in and says:

"I'm still going to get you again," with heavy breath and a kiss to Benny's neck, and Benny comes with a high-pitched whine all over Ethan's fist.

_**~.~.~**_

Benny's sitting at the table, debating over whether David Tennant or Matt Smith makes a better Doctor, when Ethan heads over and sits down next to him. Benny watches curiously as the shorter boy takes everything off of his tray and sets it on the table with a confused look on his face.

Finally, he can't take it anymore.

"Ethan, what in the hell are you doing?" he asks, cutting Rory off on his rant about Matt Smith's hair.

Ethan just grins wickedly and when he holds his empty tray up, the mistletoe unfolding and dangles from the bottom of it.

Benny shakes his head, a wild grin already spreading across his face. "Ethan, you're ridiculous."

And Ethan agrees, "I know," with a laugh, before he tangles his fingers into Benny's hair and pulls him into a sweet, slow kiss.

Rory nearly faints.

_**~.~.~**_

_**Well... That was my first sex scene, and I did not even plan on it happening... I thought it was mildly decent, though, so yay :D Now, on to my next one! Sorry again!**_

_**Tomorrow/Today's theme: Peppermint**_


	6. Peppermint

_**I AM SO SORRY PLEASE DON'T HATE AND DISOWN ME I JUST HAD A LOT OF SHIT TO DO LIKE GO TO WORK AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER BAND REHEARSAL BECAUSE MY TEACHER IS INSANE so I'll try to get these out as fast as I can. I still want you guys to have some quality and my goal is to get all of these to at least 1k! **_

_**So for today, here's the really late one from the 7, Peppermint**_

_**~.~.~**_

"I may have a slight obsession with peppermint things," Benny admits at lunch, and nobody takes him seriously.

This turns out to be a huge mistake.

_**~.~.~**_

Ethan first notices Benny's supposed problem when Benny shows up to school the next day, holding what seems to be a coffee cup from_ Tim Hortons_. Benny usually never drinks coffee because he has the hyperactivity of a squirrel on acid.

Benny notes his raised eyebrow as he walks up to Ethan and the other three, taking another sip of his coffee, and shakes his head with a swallow. Ethan totally does not follow to motion with his eyes and let out a small noise.

"It's not coffee," Benny says without preamble, jiggling the cup around. Even Ethan, who doesn't have vampire senses in the slightest, can hear the liquid sloshing around and jumping precariously towards the lid. "Peppermint hot chocolate."

Erica's nose wrinkles cutely, and if Ethan weren't afraid of her biting his fingers off, he'd touch it and probably coo at her.

"Benny, _Tim Hortons _is literally the epitome of the word nasty. Their coffee tastes worse than dirt covered worms."

Pausing from taking another drink, Benny gives Erica a curious and slightly disturbed look over the rim.

"Erica, when have you ever eaten dirt? Or worms?_ Or both_?"

She sniffs delicately, looking irritable. "I was a dork until the beginning of last year, Benny. That didn't just magically go away at summer camp."

Benny nods and takes another sip of his peppermint hot chocolate. The sound he makes when it hits his tongue is inhumanly sensual, and Ethan feels his cheeks prickling with heat.

"This stuff is the best," Benny moans. "I love peppermint."

Sarah rolls her eyes, and finally shuts her locker, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Benny, it's hot chocolate, not Ethan. Stop acting like you're going to make out with it and then shove it into a nearby closet."

Ethan makes another noise at the back of his throat, and without another word, turns and flees to his first hour. He's ultimately done with this entire conversation.

_**~.~.~**_

But, it appears that Benny is not, because when he comes over for a homework-athon, there's a candy cane sticking out of his mouth.

Ethan stares at it while Benny enters the house, mumbling words around the striped stick and kicking his shoes off. The taller boy is sucking on the candy at the same time that he's carrying out a conversation, and the knowledge that Benny can multitask those things together makes him incredibly turned on.

Fantasies of cool peppermint and Benny's hot tongue are interrupted when Benny pulls the candy out of his mouth with a loud popping sound; the hook on the candy swings around Benny's long finger, and Ethan swears that his best friend is going to kill him.

"Alright, E, let's get this assignment over with," Benny sighs, and Ethan realizes that Benny is totally unaware of what his obsession with peppermint is doing to him. "Nothing says 'Happy Holidays' quite like making a map of the human respiratory system."

Ethan would agree, but he can't seem to think of words that aren't along the lines of 'Who cares about anatomy, oh my god can you please just blow me instead, I'm going to cry and burst into flames', or any other variation of that.

These thoughts are still going on a loop twenty minutes later, when Benny has unwrapped his third candy cane and is trying to explain the texture of lungs to Ethan. Ethan's starting at the pucker of his lips and the red color the syrup of the candy cane has left behind.

"I mean, they basically look like little baby balloons," Benny rambles, waving his hands around in the air; he's on his back, talking to the ceiling and the bulge of his adam's apple keeps on bobbing up and down like a yo-yo. Ethan kind of really wants to lean forwards and suck and bite on it like a real apple. "Which keep us alive."

"Mhm," Ethan replies, totally and absolutely distracted, much to Benny's oblivion.

"So, we should probably put that in there, Ethan, because that would give a nice visual to the class-"

Benny chooses this moment to crunch down on the end of his candy cane, and when he pulls the mangled stick out of his mouth, Ethan loses all control over his body, and launches himself at Benny.

Before Benny even swallows, he finds himself with an armful of Ethan Morgan, whining about how unfair he is and shoving the candy out of Benny's hand. It lands onto the floor with a sticky crunch.

"E-" Benny breathes, but Ethan shushes him by running a thumb over his sugary mouth.

"Just leave it," Ethan whispers, and then Benny's got Ethan kissing him like they're dying, his lips warm and tongue tracing over the sugar left on his mouth.

They both forget about the assignment in favor of making out for a half an hour instead.

_**~.~.~**_

Ethan gets fed up with this entire minty episode when Grandma Weir lets them borrow her car to go on a date.

He's sliding into the car when Benny opens up the door for him, smiling like an idiot, and asking the older boy which movie they should go and see. He doesn't even register the red tube in the cup holder until Benny's in the car as well, turning the radio on softly and reaching for the mysterious tube.

Ethan watches with pursed lips as Benny suggests they go see the new Steven Spielberg movie, before cracking open the red tube and squirting out some of the contents into his hand.

"Benny." Ethan says in a clipped tone. "Is that- is that peppermint scented hand lotion?"

Benny grins at him like Ethan's the best for noticing. "Yeah! Grandma brought me some a few days ago when she got back from shopping with her friends. It's that really nice stuff from_ Bath & Body Works_."

The scent really is very nice- pepperminty with hints of vanilla and some other sort of sweetness. Not overbearingly sweet and not overbearingly minty. It smells down right divine and Ethan is just done.

"_Damn _it, Benny," Ethan growls, and takes the tube right out of his boyfriend's hand. He sends it into the back of the car with a dull thunk. Benny hardly has time to breathe. "You're going to kill me with all of this pepperminty shit."

Benny's got his mouth open, ready to justify his love for the smell, when Ethan unbuckles his seatbelt, shoves up the middle counsel, and climbs right into Benny's lap like a goddamn cat. Benny's breath catches in his chest when Ethan leans in and traces his neck with the tip of his nose.

"That smell drives me crazy," Ethan breathes out. "I'm sick of wanting to jump you every time you pull out something new to do with it. First that hot chocolate, and then those candy canes, and now the lotion- you are a crime against humanity."

Benny huffs out a laugh and hikes his hands up under Ethan's shirt, already planning to pull it off. "We could always just see a different movie."

"Or we could just not see a movie." Ethan suggests, kissing his throat.

"_Or _we could just not see a movie," Benny agrees, and that's the end of that.

_**~.~.~**_

Sarah gawks at the indisguisable hickie showing on Benny's throat, though he tried his dearest to cover it up.

Benny just sighs, and says:

"I told you- I have a peppermint problem."

_**~.~.~**_

_**Again, so sorry babycakes! I'm trying to get these out when I can! I probably won't be getting another out tomorrow but I'll try and get another out on Thursday! My schedule is suuuuper full this week :( **_

_**Here's the question for this chapter: What's your favorite candy? **_

_**Mine is Butterfingers all the fuckin' way. I love those things. Also gummy worms of both the regular and sour persuasion. **_

_**The next theme: Baking :DDDDD (another fic with all five of them and I'm looking forwards to this one, too!)**_


End file.
